bookheaven | Nothing Special, Vol. 2: Concerning Wings

Nothing Special, Vol. 2: Concerning Wings by Katie Cook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one more than volume one which was a weak 4 for me. Oddly enough I'm only lukewarm on Callie who is the main protagonist. If not for her boyfriend, Declan and her friends Lasser and Radish, I'm not sure I would keep reading. I'm thoroughly invested in that trio though and they prop up Callie for me.

Callie is trying to get her dad to make her a full time partner at the store with all the obnoxiousness of a teenager trying to prove they're adult. Declan is busy trying to decide which world he wants to live in. Lasser is sucked into vampire YA romances (and their like). Radish is on a mission to free all the radish ghosts being used to power lamps. I will say the least effective part of the story for me is Declan and Callie's romantic relationship. He seems invested. She seems like she has other concerns.

Until something happens with Declan and his broken wing (see vol 1). He is having bouts of illness and his wing sparks, setting things on fire. They have to find out more about his past and his family life, things he knows nothing about, to see if they can find out what's wrong with him and how it can be fixed.

For his part, Declan is less worried about his wing than he is about the fact that Callie is leaning too heavily into her Muse role and using it to mind manipulate people.

Their quest to find Declan help is interesting and fun, filled with colorfully characters including a temple fairy and a handsome traveling vendor (who cements Lasser as bisexual) This volume does end on huge reveal with a cliffhanger. Sigh (but that said this thing is a meaty volume, if it went on any longer it would be like lugging around a text book).

The art is great, love it. Who knew I could get emotionally invested in a silly radish? I'm looking forward to volume 3

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